1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a performance information arrangement method that executes performance information arrangement according to musical score symbols, and a recording medium recording a performance information arrangement program.
2. Description of Related Art
A personal computer based system for recording, editing and reproducing of performance information is implemented by connecting an external sound source to the personal computer, or by running sequencer software having a function of providing virtual sound sources. The performance information used here is usually sequence data in MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) format. Such performance information is recorded by means of "step by step input" based on one-by-one data input by use of a mouse or the like, or by means of "real-time recording" based on live performance by use of a MIDI device such as a MIDI keyboard or instrument connected to the personal computer. The performance information can be thus created through these recording processes. The performance information recorded is then reproduced for music performance, or further arranged or edited for better performance.
In editing, the performance information is graphically displayed in the form of a piano roll or a musical score to specify a target segment containing a desired note or notes out of all the displayed score of the performance information for altering a tone pitch or length or for deletion/insertion of note. Further, since there are various kinds of playing renditions in any musical instrument, the performance information may also be arranged in accordance with the playing renditions.
Referring now to a musical score of FIG. 14, various guitar playing renditions and corresponding score symbols of music notation will be described by way of example. A playing rendition shown in part (1) of FIG. 14 is a hammering or hammering-on. This playing rendition is performed to produce a tone in response to picking of a string and to produce a subsequent tone while tightly pressing an upper fret of the same string by a left finger without picking. The first half of part (1) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where the hammering-on playing is conducted across two tones, giving a score symbol `H` or `h.` on a circular arc connecting the two notes. The second half of part (1) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where the hammering-on playing is conducted with a grace note.
A playing rendition shown in part (2) of FIG. 14 is a pulling or pulling-off. The playing rendition is to conduct a technical performance that produces a tone in response to the picking of a string while pressing the same in position by a finger and then releases the string while getting the finger caught thereon to produce a tone on a lower fret of the same string without picking. The first half of part (2) of FIG. 14 (2) shows a notation in a case where the pulling-off playing is conducted across two tones, giving a score symbol `P` or `p.` on the circular arc connecting the two notes. The second half of part (2) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where the pulling-off playing is conducted with a grace note.
A playing rendition shown in part (3) of FIG. 14 is a trill. The playing rendition is to conduct a specific performance that sustains a tone by quick repetition of hammering-on and pulling-off operations after picking. When a trill playing is conducted, a score symbol `tr.` or `tr.` followed by a wavy line is given as shown in the first half of part (3) of FIG. 14. The second half of part (3) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where the trill playing is conducted with a grace note.
A playing rendition shown in part (4) of FIG. 14 is a slide. This is to vary the interval to a next tone by sliding a finger without picking. In this playing rendition, the hitting point of the tone is made clear. The slide notation is represented by giving a score symbol `S` on the circular arc connecting plural notes. The second half of the first bar of the part (4) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where the slide playing is conducted from a grace note. The second bar of the part (4) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where such slide-up and slide-down operations as to make the starting point of the tone unclear is conducted.
A playing rendition shown in part (5) of FIG. 14 is a glissando that varies the interval to a next tone while sliding a finger without picking like the slide playing. The glissando is, however, different from the slide playing in that the hitting point of the tone is made unclear. When a glissando playing is conducted, a score symbol `g.` is given with the wavy line or circular arc indicative of up or down of a tone following the note. The second bar of the part (5) of FIG. 14 shows a notation in a case where the glissando playing is conducted in a pick-scratch operation where a string is rubbed up or down with a pick.
A playing rendition shown in part (6) of FIG. 14 is a choking and choking-down that pushes up (pushes down) a pressed string by a finger in the vertical direction after picking so that the interval varies. The choking down is to return the string from the choked state to the original state. The notation is such that the choking and the choking-down are represented by giving score symbols `C` and `D` on the circular arc connecting plural notes, respectively. The second half of part (6) of FIG. 14 shows a choking and choking-down playing from a grace note.
Although the choking and choking-down operation varies an interval of whole tone, the following shows various kinds of interval variations other than the whole tone. The notation shown in part (7) of FIG. 14 denotes a half choking (score symbol: H.C) that gives an interval variation of semitone and a half choking-down (score symbol: H.D). The notation shown in part (8) of FIG. 14 denotes a one-and-half choking (score symbol: 1H.C) that gives an interval variation of one and half tones, and a one-and-half choking-down (score symbol: 1H.D). The notation shown in part (9) of FIG. 14 denotes a two choking (score symbol: 2C) that gives an interval variation of two whole tones, and a two choking-down (score symbol: 2D). The notation shown in part (10) of FIG. 14 denotes a unison choking (score symbol: C) that conducts the simultaneous picking of two strings while choking a lower tone so that the choked tone will be unisonous with the other tone. The notation shown in part (11) of FIG. 14 denotes a harmonized choking (score symbol: C) that obtains an interval other than the unison following the same choking operation as the unison. The notation shown in part (12) of FIG. 14 denotes a double choking (score symbol: W.C) that conducts the simultaneous picking and choking of two strings. The notation shown in part (13) of FIG. 14 denotes a quarter choking (score symbol: Q.C) that is to conduct a choking of one-quarter of the whole tone, but the choked interval is not necessarily an exact one-quarter of the whole tone. The notation shown in part (14) of FIG. 14 denotes a choking-up (score symbol: U), and the notation shown in part (15) of FIG. 14 denotes a vibrato (score symbol: Vib) that repeats choking-up and choking-down operations.
There are thus various playing renditions in the guitar. As apparent from the score in FIG. 14, beginners may misunderstand their guess as to what playing renditions are indicated by the score symbols written on the score, and this makes it difficult to input, one by one, performance information represented by the score symbols written on the score. Even if the score symbols can be given a correct correspondence with respective playing renditions, since lots of data need to be input for a faithful performance to the score symbols, it takes long time to create performance information through the step input. Besides, the creation procedures of the music performance data are complicated or troublesome.
Another approach to facilitate creation of performance information has been proposed, in which plural kinds of pitch variation templates are prepared beforehand so that one of pitch variation templates can be selected for imparting the performance information with a pitch variation corresponding to the selected template. In this approach, however, a problem still remains in that a correct template matching with a score symbol cannot be selected out of various pitch variation templates unless the user understands a correspondence between score symbols and the pitch variation templates prepared. In other words, beginners cannot easily create performance information even if such pitch variation templates are prepared, because beginners cannot allocate a correct template in matching with applied music notation.